Nettle poisons

As nettle poisons both are toxins from the stinging cells of cnidarians (Cnidaria) as well as those of crawler (z. B. the oak procession moth ), and plants of the genus of nettle ( Urtica hereinafter).

Despite their softness, cnidarians are not completely defenseless against attackers. Rather, they even use poison to get food. They produce large amounts of allomones that cause both warning and actual harm to the hostile organism. These are mostly proteins , especially enzymes such as phospholipases A2 and cytolysins from the actinoporins family , as well as neurotoxins that inhibit ion channels . The latter mainly act on the nervous system , where they prevent the formation of action potentials and thus cause cramps and symptoms of paralysis. In extreme concentrations this can lead to respiratory or cardiac arrest.

Individual evidence

↑ Sher D, Knebel A, Bsor T, et al : Toxic polypeptides of the hydra - a bioinformatic approach to cnidarian allomones . In: Toxicon . 45, No. 7, June 2005, pp. 865-79. doi : 10.1016 / j.toxicon.2005.02.004 . PMID 15904682 .
^ Saha S, Raghava GP: Prediction of neurotoxins based on their function and source . In: In Silico Biol. (Printed) . April 7, 2007, p. 0025. PMID 17688450 .
↑ Messerli SM and Greenberg RM: Cnidarian Toxins Acting on Voltage-Gated Ion Channels . (PDF) In: Marine Drugs . 4, No. Special Issue on "Marine Drugs and Ion Channels", 2006, pp. 70-81.

[1] Sher D, Knebel A, Bsor T, et al : Toxic polypeptides of the hydra - a bioinformatic approach to cnidarian allomones . In: Toxicon . 45, No. 7, June 2005, pp. 865-79. doi : 10.1016 / j.toxicon.2005.02.004 . PMID 15904682 .

[2] Saha S, Raghava GP: Prediction of neurotoxins based on their function and source . In: In Silico Biol. (Printed) . April 7, 2007, p. 0025. PMID 17688450 .

[3] Messerli SM and Greenberg RM: Cnidarian Toxins Acting on Voltage-Gated Ion Channels . (PDF) In: Marine Drugs . 4, No. Special Issue on "Marine Drugs and Ion Channels", 2006, pp. 70-81.